The present invention relates in general to an appliance venting assembly and pertains, more particularly, to a universal dryer venting assembly directed to a dryer vent and flexible vent tube assembly. The dryer venting fitting of this invention is an improvement over the conventional fixed dryer connection or fixed flexible tubing to dryer vent outlet collar connection.
It should be noted that the following disclosure relates in general to any appliance vent and, more particularly, to venting clothes dryers. However, for clarity the disclosure will describe and relate the advantages and the disadvantages of dryer connections. It will be understood that the present invention is suitable for use with other appliance vents, for example, an exhaust fan.
With typical vent outlet connections it is conventional to use one of three methods. A generally rigid, sheet metal pipe and accompanying elbows provide rigidity of the connection but are very cumbersome to handle and to install.
The rigid connection prohibits movement of an appliance, such as a clothes dryer even for the simple purpose of cleaning behind the appliance. In fact, any movement of the connected appliance or unit for cleaning, repair, or otherwise, requires disassembly of the fitting. It is not uncommon with this arrangement to obtain a minimum clearance of no less than approximately five (5") inches.
A semi-rigid, aluminum flexible tubing arrangement is used and this method allows for relatively more flexibility than the preceding rigid structure. However, the ends of the tubing result in a difficult assembly. Another drawback associated with the conventional semi-rigid tubing arrangement is the limited angular flexibility as well as its limited telescopic or expansion ability when installed due to the conventional helix construction of the tubing.
Conventional aluminum tubing sections are known to be difficult to connect in lengths. The limited bend radius of no less than approximately six (6") inches creates further drawbacks in its use. The limited bend radius restricts use of this type of assembly to appliances in which there exists sufficient clearance. Many apartments and town homes do not have the luxury of a lot of extra room available, and it is often necessary to find a niche or corner for the appliance where it is out of the way.
It is also known to use a flexible vinyl tubing which is a relatively flexible material which conforms easily to the offsets and angles often encountered when attempting to locate an appliance or fan outlet. The drawbacks associated with flexible vinyl tubing are confronted when trying to connect the tubing, for example, to dryer vent. Flexible vinyl tubing is easily distorted, thereby forming obstacles to smooth or even air flow. As a result, lint tends to build up at these distortions creating air flow restrictions and establishing a potential fire hazard.